The
Waldenses

Amid the gloom that settled
upon the earth during the long period of papal supremacy, the light of truth
could not be wholly extinguished. In every age there were witnesses for
God--men who cherished faith in Christ as the only mediator between God and
man, who held the Bible as the only rule of life, and who hallowed the true
Sabbath. How much the world owes to these men, posterity will never know. They
were branded as heretics, their motives impugned, their characters maligned,
their writings suppressed, misrepresented, or mutilated. Yet they stood firm,
and from age to age maintained their faith in its purity, as a sacred heritage
for the generations to come.

The history of
God's people during the ages of darkness that followed upon Rome's supremacy is
written in heaven, but they have little place in human records. Few traces of
their existence can be found, except in the accusations of their persecutors.
It was the policy of Rome to obliterate every trace of dissent from her
doctrines or decrees. Everything heretical, whether persons or writings, she
sought to destroy. Expressions of doubt, or questions as to the authority of
papal dogmas, were enough to forfeit the life of rich or poor, high or low.
Rome endeavored also to destroy every record of her cruelty toward dissenters.
Papal councils decreed that books and writings containing such records should

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be committed to the
flames. Before the invention of printing, books were few in number, and in a
form not favorable for preservation; therefore there was little to prevent the
Romanists from carrying out their purpose.

No church within
the limits of Romish jurisdiction was long left undisturbed in the enjoyment of
freedom of conscience. No sooner had the papacy obtained power than she
stretched out her arms to crush all that refused to acknowledge her sway, and
one after another the churches submitted to her dominion.

In Great Britain
primitive Christianity had very early taken root. The gospel received by the
Britons in the first centuries was then uncorrupted by Romish apostasy.
Persecution from pagan emperors, which extended even to these far-off shores,
was the only gift that the first churches of Britain received from Rome. Many
of the Christians, fleeing from persecution in England, found refuge in
Scotland; thence the truth was carried to Ireland, and in all these countries
it was received with gladness.

When the Saxons
invaded Britain, heathenism gained control. The conquerors disdained to be
instructed by their slaves, and the Christians were forced to retreat to the
mountains and the wild moors. Yet the light, hidden for a time, continued to
burn. In Scotland, a century later, it shone out with a brightness that
extended to far-distant lands. From Ireland came the pious Columba and his
colaborers, who, gathering about them the scattered believers on the lonely
island of Iona, made this the center of their missionary labors. Among these
evangelists was an observer of the Bible Sabbath, and thus this truth was
introduced among the people. A school was established at Iona, from which
missionaries went out, not only to Scotland and England, but to Germany,
Switzerland, and even Italy.

But Rome had fixed
her eyes on Britain, and resolved to bring it under her supremacy. In the sixth
century her missionaries undertook the conversion of the heathen Saxons.

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They were received
with favor by the proud barbarians, and they induced many thousands to profess
the Romish faith. As the work progressed, the papal leaders and their converts
encountered the primitive Christians. A striking contrast was presented. The
latter were simple, humble, and Scriptural in character, doctrine, and manners,
while the former manifested the superstition, pomp, and arrogance of popery.
The emissary of Rome demanded that these Christian churches acknowledge the
supremacy of the sovereign pontiff. The Britons meekly replied that they
desired to love all men, but that the pope was not entitled to supremacy in the
church, and they could render to him only that submission which was due to
every follower of Christ. Repeated attempts were made to secure their
allegiance to Rome; but these humble Christians, amazed at the pride displayed
by her emissaries, steadfastly replied that they knew no other master than
Christ. Now the true spirit of the papacy was revealed. Said the Romish leader:
"If you will not receive brethren who bring you peace, you shall receive
enemies who will bring you war. If you will not unite with us in showing the
Saxons the way of life, you shall receive from them the stroke of death."--J.
H. Merle D'Aubigne, History of the Reformation of the Sixteenth Century, b. 17,
ch. 2. These were no idle threats. War, intrigue, and deception were employed
against these witnesses for a Bible faith, until the churches of Britain were
destroyed, or forced to submit to the authority of the pope.

In lands beyond the
jurisdiction of Rome there existed for many centuries bodies of Christians who
remained almost wholly free from papal corruption. They were surrounded by
heathenism and in the lapse of ages were affected by its errors; but they
continued to regard the Bible as the only rule of faith and adhered to many of
its truths. These Christians believed in the perpetuity of the law of God and
observed the Sabbath of the fourth commandment. Churches that held to this
faith and practice existed in Central Africa and among the Armenians of Asia.

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But of those who
resisted the encroachments of the papal power, the Waldenses stood foremost. In
the very land where popery had fixed its seat, there its falsehood and
corruption were most steadfastly resisted. For centuries the churches of
Piedmont maintained their independence; but the time came at last when Rome
insisted upon their submission. After ineffectual struggles against her
tyranny, the leaders of these churches reluctantly acknowledged the supremacy
of the power to which the whole world seemed to pay homage. There were some,
however, who refused to yield to the authority of pope or prelate. They were
determined to maintain their allegiance to God and to preserve the purity and
simplicity of their faith. A separation took place. Those who adhered to the
ancient faith now withdrew; some, forsaking their native Alps, raised the
banner of truth in foreign lands; others retreated to the secluded glens and
rocky fastnesses of the mountains, and there preserved their freedom to worship
God.

The faith which for
centuries was held and taught by the Waldensian Christians was in marked
contrast to the false doctrines put forth from Rome. Their religious belief was
founded upon the written word of God, the true system of Christianity. But
those humble peasants, in their obscure retreats, shut away from the world, and
bound to daily toil among their flocks and their vineyards, had not by
themselves arrived at the truth in opposition to the dogmas and heresies of the
apostate church. Theirs was not a faith newly received. Their religious belief
was their inheritance from their fathers. They contended for the faith of the
apostolic church,--"the faith which was once delivered unto the saints." Jude
3. "The church in the wilderness," and not the proud hierarchy enthroned in the
world's great capital, was the true church of Christ, the guardian of the
treasures of truth which God has committed to His people to be given to the
world.

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Among the leading
causes that had led to the separation of the true church from Rome was the
hatred of the latter toward the Bible Sabbath. As foretold by prophecy, the
papal power cast down the truth to the ground. The law of God was trampled in
the dust, while the traditions and customs of men were exalted. The churches
that were under the rule of the papacy were early compelled to honor the Sunday
as a holy day. Amid the prevailing error and superstition, many, even of the
true people of God, became so bewildered that while they observed the Sabbath,
they refrained from labor also on the Sunday. But this did not satisfy the
papal leaders. They demanded not only that Sunday be hallowed, but that the
Sabbath be profaned; and they denounced in the strongest language those who
dared to show it honor. It was only by fleeing from the power of Rome that any
could obey God's law in peace. (See Appendix.)

The Waldenses were
among the first of the peoples of Europe to obtain a translation of the Holy
Scriptures. (See Appendix.) Hundreds of years before the Reformation they
possessed the Bible in manuscript in their native tongue. They had the truth
unadulterated, and this rendered them the special objects of hatred and
persecution. They declared the Church of Rome to be the apostate Babylon of the
Apocalypse, and at the peril of their lives they stood up to resist her
corruptions. While, under the pressure of long-continued persecution, some
compromised their faith, little by little yielding its distinctive principles,
others held fast the truth. Through ages of darkness and apostasy there were
Waldenses who denied the supremacy of Rome, who rejected image worship as
idolatry, and who kept the true Sabbath. Under the fiercest tempests of
opposition they maintained their faith. Though gashed by the Savoyard spear,
and scorched by the Romish fagot, they stood unflinchingly for God's word and
His honor.

Behind the lofty
bulwarks of the mountains--in all ages the refuge of the persecuted and
oppressed--the Waldenses

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found a hiding
place. Here the light of truth was kept burning amid the darkness of the Middle
Ages. Here, for a thousand years, witnesses for the truth maintained the
ancient faith.

God had provided
for His people a sanctuary of awful grandeur, befitting the mighty truths
committed to their trust. To those faithful exiles the mountains were an emblem
of the immutable righteousness of Jehovah. They pointed their children to the
heights towering above them in unchanging majesty, and spoke to them of Him
with whom there is no variableness nor shadow of turning, whose word is as
enduring as the everlasting hills. God had set fast the mountains and girded
them with strength; no arm but that of Infinite Power could move them out of
their place. In like manner He had established His law, the foundation of His
government in heaven and upon earth. The arm of man might reach his fellow men
and destroy their lives; but that arm could as readily uproot the mountains
from their foundations, and hurl them into the sea, as it could change one
precept of the law of Jehovah, or blot out one of His promises to those who do
His will. In their fidelity to His law, God's servants should be as firm as the
unchanging hills.

The mountains that
girded their lowly valleys were a constant witness to God's creative power, and
a never-failing assurance of His protecting care. Those pilgrims learned to
love the silent symbols of Jehovah's presence. They indulged no repining
because of the hardships of their lot; they were never lonely amid the mountain
solitudes. They thanked God that He had provided for them an asylum from the
wrath and cruelty of men. They rejoiced in their freedom to worship before Him.
Often when pursued by their enemies, the strength of the hills proved a sure
defense. From many a lofty cliff they chanted the praise of God, and the armies
of Rome could not silence their songs of thanksgiving.

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Pure, simple, and
fervent was the piety of these followers of Christ. The principles of truth
they valued above houses and lands, friends, kindred, even life itself. These
principles they earnestly sought to impress upon the hearts of the young. From
earliest childhood the youth were instructed in the Scriptures and taught to
regard sacredly the claims of the law of God. Copies of the Bible were rare;
therefore its precious words were committed to memory. Many were able to repeat
large portions of both the Old and the New Testament. Thoughts of God were
associated alike with the sublime scenery of nature and with the humble
blessings of daily life. Little children learned to look with gratitude to God
as the giver of every favor and every comfort.

Parents, tender and
affectionate as they were, loved their children too wisely to accustom them to
self-indulgence. Before them was a life of trial and hardship, perhaps a
martyr's death. They were educated from childhood to endure hardness, to submit
to control, and yet to think and act for themselves. Very early they were
taught to bear responsibilities, to be guarded in speech, and to understand the
wisdom of silence. One indiscreet word let fall in the hearing of their enemies
might imperil not only the life of the speaker, but the lives of hundreds of
his brethren; for as wolves hunting their prey did the enemies of truth pursue
those who dared to claim freedom of religious faith.

The Waldenses had
sacrificed their worldly prosperity for the truth's sake, and with persevering
patience they toiled for their bread. Every spot of tillable land among the
mountains was carefully improved; the valleys and the less fertile hillsides
were made to yield their increase. Economy and severe self-denial formed a part
of the education which the children received as their only legacy. They were
taught that God designs life to be a discipline, and that their wants could be
supplied only by personal labor, by forethought, care, and faith. The process
was laborious and wearisome, but it was

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wholesome, just
what man needs in his fallen state, the school which God has provided for his
training and development. While the youth were inured to toil and hardship, the
culture of the intellect was not neglected. They were taught that all their
powers belonged to God, and that all were to be improved and developed for His
service.

The Vaudois
churches, in their purity and simplicity, resembled the church of apostolic
times. Rejecting the supremacy of the pope and prelate, they held the Bible as
the only supreme, infallible authority. Their pastors, unlike the lordly
priests of Rome, followed the example of their Master, who "came not to be
ministered unto, but to minister." They fed the flock of God, leading them to
the green pastures and living fountains of His holy word. Far from the
monuments of human pomp and pride the people assembled, not in magnificent
churches or grand cathedrals, but beneath the shadow of the mountains, in the
Alpine valleys, or, in time of danger, in some rocky stronghold, to listen to
the words of truth from the servants of Christ. The pastors not only preached
the gospel, but they visited the sick, catechized the children, admonished the
erring, and labored to settle disputes and promote harmony and brotherly love.
In times of peace they were sustained by the freewill offerings of the people;
but, like Paul the tentmaker, each learned some trade or profession by which,
if necessary, to provide for his own support.

From their pastors
the youth received instruction. While attention was given to branches of
general learning, the Bible was made the chief study. The Gospels of Matthew
and John were committed to memory, with many of the Epistles. They were
employed also in copying the Scriptures. Some manuscripts contained the whole
Bible, others only brief selections, to which some simple explanations of the
text were added by those who were able to expound the Scriptures. Thus were
brought forth the treasures of truth so long

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concealed by those
who sought to exalt themselves above God.

By patient,
untiring labor, sometimes in the deep, dark caverns of the earth, by the light
of torches, the Sacred Scriptures were written out, verse by verse, chapter by
chapter. Thus the work went on, the revealed will of God shining out like pure
gold; how much brighter, clearer, and more powerful because of the trials
undergone for its sake only those could realize who were engaged in the work.
Angels from heaven surrounded these faithful workers.

Satan had urged on
the papal priests and prelates to bury the word of truth beneath the rubbish of
error, heresy, and superstition; but in a most wonderful manner it was
preserved uncorrupted through all the ages of darkness. It bore not the stamp
of man, but the impress of God. Men have been unwearied in their efforts to
obscure the plain, simple meaning of the Scriptures, and to make them
contradict their own testimony; but like the ark upon the billowy deep, the
word of God outrides the storms that threaten it with destruction. As the mine
has rich veins of gold and silver hidden beneath the surface, so that all must
dig who would discover its precious stores, so the Holy Scriptures have
treasures of truth that are revealed only to the earnest, humble, prayerful
seeker. God designed the Bible to be a lessonbook to all mankind, in childhood,
youth, and manhood, and to be studied through all time. He gave His word to men
as a revelation of Himself. Every new truth discerned is a fresh disclosure of
the character of its Author. The study of the Scriptures is the means divinely
ordained to bring men into closer connection with their Creator and to give
them a clearer knowledge of His will. It is the medium of communication between
God and man.

While the Waldenses
regarded the fear of the Lord as the beginning of wisdom, they were not blind
to the importance of a contact with the world, a knowledge of men and of

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active life, in
expanding the mind and quickening the perceptions. From their schools in the
mountains some of the youth were sent to institutions of learning in the cities
of France or Italy, where was a more extended field for study, thought, and
observation than in their native Alps. The youth thus sent forth were exposed
to temptation, they witnessed vice, they encountered Satan's wily agents, who
urged upon them the most subtle heresies and the most dangerous deceptions. But
their education from childhood had been of a character to prepare them for all
this.

In the schools
whither they went, they were not to make confidants of any. Their garments were
so prepared as to conceal their greatest treasure--the precious manuscripts of
the Scriptures. These, the fruit of months and years of toil, they carried with
them, and whenever they could do so without exciting suspicion, they cautiously
placed some portion in the way of those whose hearts seemed open to receive the
truth. From their mother's knee the Waldensian youth had been trained with this
purpose in view; they understood their work and faithfully performed it.
Converts to the true faith were won in these institutions of learning, and
frequently its principles were found to be permeating the entire school; yet
the papal leaders could not, by the closest inquiry, trace the so-called
corrupting heresy to its source.

The spirit of
Christ is a missionary spirit. The very first impulse of the renewed heart is
to bring others also to the Saviour. Such was the spirit of the Vaudois
Christians. They felt that God required more of them than merely to preserve
the truth in its purity in their own churches; that a solemn responsibility
rested upon them to let their light shine forth to those who were in darkness;
by the mighty power of God's word they sought to break the bondage which Rome
had imposed. The Vaudois ministers were trained as missionaries, everyone who
expected to enter the ministry being required first to gain an experience as an
evangelist. Each

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was to serve three
years in some mission field before taking charge of a church at home. This
service, requiring at the outset self-denial and sacrifice, was a fitting
introduction to the pastor's life in those times that tried men's souls. The
youth who received ordination to the sacred office saw before them, not the
prospect of earthly wealth and glory, but a life of toil and danger, and
possibly a martyr's fate. The missionaries went out two and two, as Jesus sent
forth His disciples. With each young man was usually associated a man of age
and experience, the youth being under the guidance of his companion, who was
held responsible for his training, and whose instruction he was required to
heed. These colaborers were not always together, but often met for prayer and
counsel, thus strengthening each other in the faith.

To have made known
the object of their mission would have ensured its defeat; therefore they
carefully concealed their real character. Every minister possessed a knowledge
of some trade or profession, and the missionaries prosecuted their work under
cover of a secular calling. Usually they chose that of merchant or peddler.
"They carried silks, jewelry, and other articles, at that time not easily
purchasable save at distant marts; and they were welcomed as merchants where
they would have been spurned as missionaries."-- Wylie, b. 1, ch. 7. All the
while their hearts were uplifted to God for wisdom to present a treasure more
precious than gold or gems. They secretly carried about with them copies of the
Bible, in whole or in part; and whenever an opportunity was presented, they
called the attention of their customers to these manuscripts. Often an interest
to read God's word was thus awakened, and some portion was gladly left with
those who desired to receive it.

The work of these
missionaries began in the plains and valleys at the foot of their own
mountains, but it extended far beyond these limits. With naked feet and in
garments coarse and travel-stained as were those of their Master,

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they passed through
great cities and penetrated to distant lands. Everywhere they scattered the
precious seed. Churches sprang up in their path, and the blood of martyrs
witnessed for the truth. The day of God will reveal a rich harvest of souls
garnered by the labors of these faithful men. Veiled and silent, the word of
God was making its way through Christendom and meeting a glad reception in the
homes and hearts of men.

To the Waldenses
the Scriptures were not merely a record of God's dealings with men in the past,
and a revelation of the responsibilities and duties of the present, but an
unfolding of the perils and glories of the future. They believed that the end
of all things was not far distant, and as they studied the Bible with prayer
and tears they were the more deeply impressed with its precious utterances and
with their duty to make known to others its saving truths. They saw the plan of
salvation clearly revealed in the sacred pages, and they found comfort, hope,
and peace in believing in Jesus. As the light illuminated their understanding
and made glad their hearts, they longed to shed its beams upon those who were
in the darkness of papal error.

They saw that under
the guidance of pope and priest, multitudes were vainly endeavoring to obtain
pardon by afflicting their bodies for the sin of their souls. Taught to trust
to their good works to save them, they were ever looking to themselves, their
minds dwelling upon their sinful condition, seeing themselves exposed to the
wrath of God, afflicting soul and body, yet finding no relief. Thus
conscientious souls were bound by the doctrines of Rome. Thousands abandoned
friends and kindred, and spent their lives in convent cells. By oft-repeated
fasts and cruel scourgings, by midnight vigils, by prostration for weary hours
upon the cold, damp stones of their dreary abode, by long pilgrimages, by
humiliating penance and fearful torture, thousands vainly sought to obtain
peace of conscience. Oppressed with a sense of sin, and haunted with the fear
of God's avenging

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wrath, many
suffered on, until exhausted nature gave way, and without one ray of light or
hope they sank into the tomb.

The Waldenses
longed to break to these starving souls the bread of life, to open to them the
messages of peace in the promises of God, and to point them to Christ as their
only hope of salvation. The doctrine that good works can atone for the
transgression of God's law they held to be based upon falsehood. Reliance upon
human merit intercepts the view of Christ's infinite love. Jesus died as a
sacrifice for man because the fallen race can do nothing to recommend
themselves to God. The merits of a crucified and risen Saviour are the
foundation of the Christian's faith. The dependence of the soul upon Christ is
as real, and its connection with Him must be as close, as that of a limb to the
body, or of a branch to the vine.

The teachings of
popes and priests had led men to look upon the character of God, and even of
Christ, as stern, gloomy, and forbidding. The Saviour was represented as so far
devoid of sympathy with man in his fallen state that the mediation of priests
and saints must be invoked. Those whose minds had been enlightened by the word
of God longed to point these souls to Jesus as their compassionate, loving
Saviour, standing with outstretched arms, inviting all to come to Him with
their burden of sin, their care and weariness. They longed to clear away the
obstructions which Satan had piled up that men might not see the promises, and
come directly to God, confessing their sins, and obtaining pardon and peace.

Eagerly did the
Vaudois missionary unfold to the inquiring mind the precious truths of the
gospel. Cautiously he produced the carefully written portions of the Holy
Scriptures. It was his greatest joy to give hope to the conscientious,
sin-stricken soul, who could see only a God of vengeance, waiting to execute
justice. With quivering lip and tearful eye did he, often on bended knees, open
to his brethren the

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precious promises
that reveal the sinner's only hope. Thus the light of truth penetrated many a
darkened mind, rolling back the cloud of gloom, until the Sun of Righteousness
shone into the heart with healing in His beams. It was often the case that some
portion of Scripture was read again and again, the hearer desiring it to be
repeated, as if he would assure himself that he had heard aright. Especially
was the repetition of these words eagerly desired: "The blood of Jesus Christ
His Son cleanseth us from all sin." 1 John 1:7. "As Moses lifted up the serpent
in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up: that whosoever
believeth in Him should not perish, but have eternal life." John 3:14, 15.

Many were
undeceived in regard to the claims of Rome. They saw how vain is the mediation
of men or angels in behalf of the sinner. As the true light dawned upon their
minds they exclaimed with rejoicing: "Christ is my priest; His blood is my
sacrifice; His altar is my confessional." They cast themselves wholly upon the
merits of Jesus, repeating the words, "Without faith it is impossible to please
Him." Hebrews 11:6. "There is none other name under heaven given among men,
whereby we must be saved." Acts 4:12.

The assurance of a
Saviour's love seemed too much for some of these poor tempest-tossed souls to
realize. So great was the relief which it brought, such a flood of light was
shed upon them, that they seemed transported to heaven. Their hands were laid
confidingly in the hand of Christ; their feet were planted upon the Rock of
Ages. All fear of death was banished. They could now covet the prison and the
fagot if they might thereby honor the name of their Redeemer.

In secret places
the word of God was thus brought forth and read, sometimes to a single soul,
sometimes to a little company who were longing for light and truth. Often the
entire night was spent in this manner. So great would be the wonder and
admiration of the listeners that the messenger of mercy was not infrequently
compelled to cease his reading

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until the
understanding could grasp the tidings of salvation. Often would words like
these be uttered: "Will God indeed accept my offering? Will He smile upon me?
Will He pardon me?" The answer was read: "Come unto Me, all ye that labor and
are heavy-laden, and I will give you rest." Matthew 11:28.

Faith grasped the
promise, and the glad response was heard: "No more long pilgrimages to make; no
more painful journeys to holy shrines. I may come to Jesus just as I am, sinful
and unholy, and He will not spurn the penitential prayer. 'Thy sins be forgiven
thee.' Mine, even mine, may be forgiven!"

A tide of sacred
joy would fill the heart, and the name of Jesus would be magnified by praise
and thanksgiving. Those happy souls returned to their homes to diffuse light,
to repeat to others, as well as they could, their new experience; that they had
found the true and living Way. There was a strange and solemn power in the
words of Scripture that spoke directly to the hearts of those who were longing
for the truth. It was the voice of God, and it carried conviction to those who
heard.

The messenger of
truth went on his way; but his appearance of humility, his sincerity, his
earnestness and deep fervor, were subjects of frequent remark. In many
instances his hearers had not asked him whence he came or whither he went. They
had been so overwhelmed, at first with surprise, and afterward with gratitude
and joy, that they had not thought to question him. When they had urged him to
accompany them to their homes, he had replied that he must visit the lost sheep
of the flock. Could he have been an angel from heaven? they queried.

In many cases the
messenger of truth was seen no more. He had made his way to other lands, or he
was wearing out his life in some unknown dungeon, or perhaps his bones were
whitening on the spot where he had witnessed for the

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truth. But the
words he had left behind could not be destroyed. They were doing their work in
the hearts of men; the blessed results will be fully known only in the
judgment.

The Waldensian
missionaries were invading the kingdom of Satan, and the powers of darkness
aroused to greater vigilance. Every effort to advance the truth was watched by
the prince of evil, and he excited the fears of his agents. The papal leaders
saw a portent of danger to their cause from the labors of these humble
itinerants. If the light of truth were allowed to shine unobstructed, it would
sweep away the heavy clouds of error that enveloped the people. It would direct
the minds of men to God alone and would eventually destroy the supremacy of
Rome.

The very existence
of this people, holding the faith of the ancient church, was a constant
testimony to Rome's apostasy, and therefore excited the most bitter hatred and
persecution. Their refusal to surrender the Scriptures was also an offense that
Rome could not tolerate. She determined to blot them from the earth. Now began
the most terrible crusades against God's people in their mountain homes.
Inquisitors were put upon their track, and the scene of innocent Abel falling
before the murderous Cain was often repeated.

Again and again
were their fertile lands laid waste, their dwellings and chapels swept away, so
that where once were flourishing fields and the homes of an innocent,
industrious people, there remained only a desert. As the ravenous beast is
rendered more furious by the taste of blood, so the rage of the papists was
kindled to greater intensity by the sufferings of their victims. Many of these
witnesses for a pure faith were pursued across the mountains and hunted down in
the valleys where they were hidden, shut in by mighty forests and pinnacles of
rock.

No charge could be
brought against the moral character of this proscribed class. Even their
enemies declared them to be a peaceable, quiet, pious people. Their grand
offense was that they would not worship God according to the will

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of the pope. For
this crime every humiliation, insult, and torture that men or devils could
invent was heaped upon them.

When Rome at one
time determined to exterminate the hated sect, a bull was issued by the pope,
condemning them as heretics, and delivering them to slaughter. (See Appendix.)
They were not accused as idlers, or dishonest, or disorderly; but it was
declared that they had an appearance of piety and sanctity that seduced "the
sheep of the true fold." Therefore the pope ordered "that malicious and
abominable sect of malignants," if they "refuse to abjure, to be crushed like
venomous snakes."--Wylie, b. 16, ch. 1. Did this haughty potentate expect to
meet those words again? Did he know that they were registered in the books of
heaven, to confront him at the judgment? "Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one
of the least of these My brethren," said Jesus, "ye have done it unto Me."
Matthew 25:40.

This bull called
upon all members of the church to join the crusade against the heretics. As an
incentive to engage in this cruel work, it "absolved from all ecclesiastical
pains and penalties, general and particular; it released all who joined the
crusade from any oaths they might have taken; it legitimatized their title to
any property they might have illegally acquired; and promised remission of all
their sins to such as should kill any heretic. It annulled all contracts made
in favor of Vaudois, ordered their domestics to abandon them, forbade all
persons to give them any aid whatever, and empowered all persons to take
possession of their property."--Wylie, b. 16, ch. 1. This document clearly
reveals the master spirit behind the scenes. It is the roar of the dragon, and
not the voice of Christ, that is heard therein.

The papal leaders
would not conform their characters to the great standard of God's law, but
erected a standard to suit themselves, and determined to compel all to conform
to this because Rome willed it. The most horrible tragedies were enacted.
Corrupt and blasphemous priests and popes were doing the work which Satan
appointed them. Mercy had

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no place in their
natures. The same spirit that crucified Christ and slew the apostles, the same
that moved the blood-thirsty Nero against the faithful in his day, was at work
to rid the earth of those who were beloved of God.

The persecutions
visited for many centuries upon this God-fearing people were endured by them
with a patience and constancy that honored their Redeemer. Notwithstanding the
crusades against them, and the inhuman butchery to which they were subjected,
they continued to send out their missionaries to scatter the precious truth.
They were hunted to death; yet their blood watered the seed sown, and it failed
not of yielding fruit. Thus the Waldenses witnessed for God centuries before
the birth of Luther. Scattered over many lands, they planted the seeds of the
Reformation that began in the time of Wycliffe, grew broad and deep in the days
of Luther, and is to be carried forward to the close of time by those who also
are willing to suffer all things for "the word of God, and for the testimony of
Jesus Christ." Revelation 1:9.